So I have been having a battle in my brain between micro ATX and ATX
Im planning on making a $1600 (aud) build, which I'm hoping will last me around 6 years. What I will be doing on the computer: I will be doing quite a bit of music production on FL studio (a program) and some casual gaming. For the gaming, even though its casual I still want good performance. In terms of music production I would like the purest sound I can get :)
That leads to the big question, micro ATX or full ATX?
That is entirely up to you. ATX has more expansion capabilities typically, but mATX is smaller. Hell, unless you are planning on overclocking balls to the wall they should even perform pretty much the exact same.
There's no objective answer to the question unless we can get an idea what you're looking for. If you want three-way SLI/Crossfire, than you'd probably want ATX. If you want something that is smaller and more portable, than mATX is the answer.
That actually looks pretty good. I assume you have ext. HDDs too(?). 1TB ain't that much. The thing about "upgrading as you go" with CPUs - and this is especially true as of right now - is that you might end up replacing your mobo and RAM too. 1150 and AM3+ are basically a dead end.
And be aware that the mobo that's currently in your list has 2x SATA 3GB/S ports and 4x SATA 6GB/S ports. You can tell them apart by looking at their location and color (they are paired together and the faster ones are grey). This motherboard also doesn't support crossfire or SLI. If you want to upgrade your graphics you have to replace your GPU, rather than buying the same again and put them in crossfire.
The mobo also only has 2x fan headers (1x CPU, 1x chassis). If you want to use more than just the CPU fan and 1x chassis fan you either need a splitter, fan controller/hub or plug them directly into the PSU.
The case (supports up to 310mm long GPUs) might be a tight fit for the GPU (305mm). Check for other stuff too: does the case have dust filters? how easy are they removeable? (for example: I have to remove both sidepanels to be able to remove the complete front of my case to clean the dust filter), are 4x 3.5" bays enough? (2x are already taken up by the SSD and HDD on your list, by adding another 2x drives they are full and one drive (including the optical drive) has to be plugged into one of the slower SATA 3GB/S ports), what about cable-management?, etc. It's a nice case, Logan recommended it in his Feb '15 buyers guide, I think. But will it cover all your needs for 6 years?
No not entirely He did not specify the platform he was going with. See unlike the vast majority of people who build an enthusiast machine and then upgrade 2-3 years later. i frequently only jump every major platform shift 5-10 years. I.e I jumped from X58 to haswell E. Realize this also results in a bigger investment up front but saves a lot of money in the long run (around 1000-2000 dollars depending on frequency of the upgrades in the mainstream platform). This all being said if he is using the X99 platform at 1600 dollars that rig will last him a LONG time.
Anyways to answer your question. i always find it to be the better value or most bang for the buck to go with ATX because 1) There are usually more features on ATX 2) There is a more room for expansion 3) Sometimes you get better power delivery units (VRMS etc) on the ATX variants (Not always true) 4) Can fit in most mid size to full size cases.
That being said Micro ATX has its advantages 1) smaller, compact and easy to work with 2) cheaper 3) Specific set of features your are looking for and nothing more
Disadvantages: 1) Squeezes most components together 2) Expansion Longevity is limited 3) Needs better cooling (All the hot parts are close together in the system) 4) Sometimes low profile ram is needed and thats expensive for two reasons
Added layers to PCB increasing cost
Expensive and takes research.. also has limited production run.
the disadvantages of each are easy to point out but its really up to you and what you desire.
You mind sharing your parts list on PC part picker so we can all look at what your getting and help with the decision?
Full ATX is a bit more expensive, which means I will need possibly take out the SSD until I can afford one, and in terms of HDD, I have never been able to use up 1TB of storage, so Ill start out on 1 and upgrade as I go.
As I said... you get what you need with a Micro ATX motherboard. You should go with it.
Might I suggest the H series chipset instead as it has its advantages. I am not sure whats available there but the H97 series chipset will server you better in terms of longevity
If it was US Dollar then yes, but he's paying with AUS Dollar. X99 (CPU, mobo, RAM) + CPU cooler + SSD/HDD alone will use up ~AUS $1260, leaving only ~AUS $340 for the GPU, PSU and a case. The GPUs that fit into that little rest-budget won't last him 6 years without continuously lowering the settings in games.
Micro atx if you plan on using only graphics card & 1 audio dac pcie card. Full ATX if you plan in the future of getting multiple sound cards, DACs, amps, pcie SSD, raid adaptor aka. UPGRADES.
So in the end it's either MicroATX if u plan on using onboard audio or usb audio. Full ATX if you plan on upgrading PC with higher end stuff.
Im going to be using Windows 8.1. Quite a few people prefer W7, but I really like the interface. And yeah hearing what other are saying I might go with a full ATX just because it has more ports and more stuff really, allowing for more possible upgrades. @ragebone
My post - talking about the little budget left for a GPU - was in case of an X99 build, since they are so expensive. (AUS$320 minimum for the motherboard, ~AUS$570 for the CPU, AUS$125 for the RAM -> ~AUS$1000)